About Us

Mission

Mercy Canada exists to provide young women with the opportunity to experience God’s unconditional love, forgiveness, and life-transforming power.

Mercy Canada values every young woman’s life and believes in her future. Young women come to Mercy desperate to fill the emptiness in their lives that the world has failed to satisfy. God calls Mercy Canada to respond to this need by providing a safe Christ-centred environment, free of charge, that allows young women the ability to find and embrace hope for the future. By accepting Christ’s love and forgiveness, these young women are freed from their past circumstances and equipped to take hope out into the world.

Our residential program is voluntary, Christ-centred, and completely free of charge to young women ages 19-30. The average stay at Mercy lasts 6 to 9 months and is designed to address the whole person – spirit, soul, and body.

Our Vision

Mercy Multiplied International was established by Nancy Alcorn in 1983. Nancy spent 8 years working for the government in Tennessee – 5 years at a correctional facility and 3 years investigating child abuse cases. She saw many of the young women pass 18 and end up in the prison system because they never received the help they needed.

As a result of this work, she realized the inadequacy of these programs and was determined to establish a program that would transform lives. Nancy believes that if we provide places at no charge where young women can come and receive a new life through Jesus Christ, as well as professional training in other areas, their lives will never be the same.

As the visionary leader of Mercy Multiplied International, Nancy continues to provide Mercy homes and outreach programs globally with all the passion and insight that comes with over 30 years of envisioning, developing, implementing, and operating Mercy Multiplied homes. Under her leadership, Mercy Multiplied International now operates homes in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.

Executive Director Nicola Bartel has been in active ministry to hurting young women since 1996. She first served on staff at a home for pregnant teens and young adult women, then managed, developed, and implemented a program for adults living with the effects of fetal alcohol spectrum disorder. As the Executive Director of Mercy Canada, she oversees and provides direction for all aspects of the ministry, including programs, staffing, community relations, and finances.

Nicola is an instinctive and caring leader whose passion for ministry to young women was cultivated at a young age, when she began working with youth through her church. She is a lifelong learner with a variety of counselling and care designations that build on her background in Cognitive and Family Systems counselling and as a Community Social Service Worker.

I. The Scriptures: We believe that the Holy Bible was written by divine inspiration, and that it is a record of God’s revelation of Himself to man. It is a book of divine instruction. (2 Timothy 3:16-17, John 1:1-14)

II. God: We believe there is only one living and true God, and that the eternal God reveals Himself to us as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Each member of the Trinity has distinct personal attributes, but yet still one. (Matthew 28:19-20; Mark 12:28-31)

God the Father: He is fatherly in His attitude toward all men. He is all powerful, all knowing, omnipresent, omnipotent, and sovereign. (Jeremiah 10:12; Psalm 139: 7-10; Psalm 147:5; Proverbs 15:3; Romans 1:20)

God the Son: Jesus is the eternal Son of God. We believe He was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He was crucified, willingly shedding His blood for the redemption of mankind and forgiveness of sins to all who receive the sacrifice. He was crucified, dead, and buried. On the third day He rose from the dead with a glorified body, appeared to His disciples, ascended to heaven, and is now exalted at the right hand of the God where He is the One Mediator, bringing reconciliation between God and man. He will return in power and glory to judge the world and to complete His redemptive mission. He now dwells in all believers as the living and ever present Lord. (Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 3:17; Acts 1:8-11; Romans 8:31-34; 1 Timothy 3:16; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-6; Titus 2:11-14)

God the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of God (the Comforter, the Intercessor, the Strengthener, the Standby, and the Counsellor). He illuminates men to understand truth, and He draws men to the Father. He convicts of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment. He enlightens and empowers the believer and the church in worship, evangelism, and service. (John 16:7-8; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Galatians 5:16-17; Romans 8:5-13)

III. Man: We believe man was created in the image of God by a special act of God Himself. Man was created free of sin and innocent, but with a free choice. By man’s choice, sin entered the human race. Thus, the fall came by choosing to follow Satan and his temptation. Redemption comes through receiving Christ as a free gift and believing in the heart that He died for sins through the shedding of His own blood, and receiving and accepting the free gift of salvation offered to “whosoever will.” (Genesis 1:26; Galatians 3:17-24; Romans 5:6-10; 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10)

IV. Salvation: We believe in the new birth as a work of God’s grace whereby believers become new creatures in Christ Jesus. It is a change of heart wrought by the Holy Spirit through conviction of sin, to which the sinner responds in repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 16: 24-26; John 3:16-18; Romans 10:9-13)

V. The Church: The Church universal is the Body of Christ, and it consists of all true believers who are associated by their covenant in the faith and fellowship of the gospel. The various local churches are smaller entities of the universal body of true believers. The Church operates under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, and He raises up pastors and deacons as leaders. The pastors are the shepherds of the individual flocks. (Ephesians 1:18-23; Ephesians 4:4-13)

VI. Baptism: We believe in following the example of Christ in water baptism. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer’s faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Saviour, and the believer’s death to sin, burial of the old life, and a resurrection to walk in the newness of life in Christ Jesus. (Matthew 28:16-20; Mark 1:4-11)

VII. The Lord’s Supper: We believe in the Lord’s Supper as a symbolic act of obedience whereby members of the church remember the death of Christ by partaking of bread and fruit of the vine. (Matthew 26:26-28; 1 Corinthians 11: 23-26)

VIII. Tithing: We believe that believers should give a tithe, or a tenth, of their total income to the local church in which they are a part. (Malachi 3:8-10)

Rachelle Ashbee

Lisa Neufeldt

Ashley Crozier

Andrea Slamaj

Jillian Murphy

David Styles

Bio coming soon

Helen Balzer

Helen Balzer is a Charitable Management Consultant with more than 30 years of proven leadership experience in the charitable sector. She has served in church leadership and on the boards of not-for-profits, and has lent support, strategy, and guidance to corporations across Canada.

Lindsay Willis

Lindsay Willis is a successful market research consultant, advising her clients on design, development, and positioning of products. Lindsay also serves as director of leadership development at River Valley Church.

Trevor Brown

Trevor Brown is a businessman, with over 20 years of experience working in the crane industry for his family company. He is privileged to have the opportunity to serve on the Mercy Canada board.

Juliet Teeter

Juliet Teeter is a therapist in Private Practice, as well as a Professor at Trinity Western University. She considers it an honour to have served as Mercy Canada's first Program Director and is privileged to return to Mercy as a board member.

Rachael Johnston

Rachael Johnston has been an Eating Disorder Therapist for over 10 years at a community agency and in her own private practice. She and her husband also serve as Lead Pastors at Resonate Church in Coquitlam, BC which they planted in 2017. She has been passionate about Mercy since she was a teenager and is honoured to now serve on the board.

Mercy Canada is proud to have a number of ministry and business sponsors who work with us by providing essential resources, sponsoring fundraising events, or investing time and effort. By helping, these groups demonstrate concern and make obvious their commitment towards helping to provide a solution for the problems facing young women from across Canada.

Investing time, expertise and financial resources in a partnership with Mercy Canada directly saves the lives of a young women. If you’re interested in becoming a partner with Mercy Canada, please contact us at ask@mercycanada.ca or call 604-535-1983.

Mercy Canada is a registered Canadian charity (CRA #872742309RR0001) that operates under the highest standards of financial accountability.

All donations will be used for the board-approved projects and programs for which they are given. Should contributions exceed requirements for completion or the project be terminated, funds will be redirected where most needed within Mercy Canada as approved by the board.

Mercy Canada is a certified member of the Canadian Council of Christian Charities (CCCC).

** Donor Advised Funds: Because Mercy Canada does not routinely apply for grants, the majority of gifts from foundations are initiated by private individuals who support the ministry and have chosen to give through a donor advised fund or family foundation.